KAPALUA, Hawaii — A back injury in the Bahamas made things more puzzling for Xander Schauffele, who withdrew from Friday’s Sentry Tournament of Champions and will undergo an MRI to see what’s wrong.
The sixth-ranked Schauffele, who won three PGA Tour titles last year, stopped on the par-5 ninth hole because he felt he couldn’t swing at full speed.
Schauffele had no issues throughout practice before arriving in Kapalua after the Hero World Challenge, which ended on December 4. But he was sore again on Monday, withdrew from Wednesday’s Pro-Am and struggled in the season opener.
“It feels like a very similar deal to the Bahamas,” Schauffele said. “In the Bahamas, I started feeling better every day.
His round was one over when Schauffele retired. He flinched at his tee shot, chunked the iron and said his head was “in a terrible place.”
He won the Tournament of Champions in 2019 and lost in the playoffs the following year. Even more frustrating for Schauffele was the inability to identify what was going on.
The San Diego native has four more tournaments on his West Coast schedule in two weeks, starting with The American Express in La Quinta, California.
His caddy told him, “There are so many tournaments ahead. Are you going to look back and be proud that you’ve done it all and hurt yourself more? should I withdraw?”
Schauffele said he regretted not having an MRI when he returned to Las Vegas after the Hero World Challenge. But then he felt better and stronger and didn’t feel the need by the time he left.
“I totally got everything back in my routine,” he said. “That was my immaturity. I’m 29. I need to stay fit.”
Schauffele never comes home completely empty-handed. He gets bottom unofficial money at $200,000 from a $15 million purse.He also gets his 25% of a $5 million bonus if he finishes 7th in the Player Impact program. receive his $1.25 million.
Players receive 25% of their bonus money this week and the rest when they meet their other obligations related to the PIP program.
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